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Kenyan Amos Kipruto wins the 2022 men’s London Marathon, while 23-year-old Ethopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw recovers from a late fall to deliver a dominant performance in the women’s race and take gold
- Yalemzerf Yehualaw ran for first marathon title in London Marathon
- The 23-year-old dominated despite falling after tripping over a speed bump
- Kenyan Amos Kipruto won the elite men’s race on Sunday morning
- Due to his dominance, he finished almost a minute ahead of Leul Gebresilase
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After the fall came the rise. Not many athletes can climb out of a faceplant to win the London Marathon, but Yalemzerf Yehualaw is quickly developing as a runner who doesn’t live up to the usual standards.
The Ethiopian’s victory in two hours, 17 minutes and 26 seconds on Sunday was astonishing, both in her revival of tumbling over a speed bump six miles from the tire, as well as in what it heralded, with the 23-year-old becoming the youngest. became winner of this race in history.
That it was only her second marathon ever, six months after winning her first in Hamburg, would indicate she has a better chance than most in her stated ambition to one day break Brigid Kosgei’s 2:14.04 world record.
Yalemzerf Yehualaw dominated to take first-ever women’s London marathon
Yehualaw recovered from a 33km fall after appearing to trip over a speed bump
“I had a dream to become a professional athlete and run in these races,” she said. “I am so happy to win my first time in London. People in London shouted a lot and it inspired me.
“I’m thinking about the longer plan I have to break the world record.”
Kosgei, the dominant Kenyan athlete, was one of several leading names who withdrew injured from this race, which cleared a major hurdle for Yehualaw. However, another occurred after 20 miles, when she lost about 25 meters on the leading group of eight when she fell hard over the speed bump.
Kenya’s Amos Kipruto stormed to victory to take his first-ever London Marathon win
“I hurt my hip and knee,” she said, before a member of her team confirmed she also hit her head. Despite that setback, she pulled into the pack and by the 24th mile it had turned into a showdown between two women and defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei.
At that point, Yehualaw ran a stormy mile of four minutes and 43 seconds, the fastest ever in a women’s marathon, leaving the Kenyan in her wake. Her time was the third fastest in the race’s 42 years.
The men’s event was won by Amos Kipruto in 2:04.39 after a distance of five kilometers from home. The leading British runner was ninth-placed Waynay Ghebresilasie, who carried the flag for Eritrea in London 2012 before seeking asylum here.
Weynay Ghebresilasie became the first Briton to cross the finish line in the men’s marathon race
The 28-year-old said: ‘Before the 2012 Olympics, my country was not in a good situation, so I stayed in Britain. I was in Sunderland then moved to Birmingham and I am now in Scotland.
“My plan is to compete for Great Britain in the World Championships and the Olympic Games in Paris.”
Meanwhile, Eilish McColgan, who withdrew due to blood sugar problems worsening over the marathon distance, set a new European 10km road record by clocking 30:18 on the Great Scottish Run.